It's Not Just About Ability

For the first time in 38 years, Alabama did not have a single player selected in the NFL Draft. To be quite blunt about it, Bama just hasn't had the talent. Bama homers will always think their guys are the best--just like all fans think their guys are the best--but it wasn't the case this year.

But of all the guys eligible, people had high hopes that D.J. Hall, the wide receiver, would surely go in the fourth or fifth round. He's signed as an undrafted free agent with New York now, but why didn't he get drafted, and, as a result, get the big bucks?

Rumblings on sports radio this morning suggest it is "character issues." In fact, that has been the talk about several players, not just at Alabama, but all over the place. Kids get drafted lower than their ability would dictate because most of the big ball teams are not going to invest in a punk anymore. Darren McFadden was once the predicted No. 1 overall pick, but dropped to fourth, perhaps in honor of his four illegitimate children.

After all the Michael Vick and Pacman Jones drama, not to mention the personal baby-mama-drama that so many of these guys go through, NFL teams are not just going to take a chance on guys they don't think will be reliable. And if you add a questionable work ethic into the mix, your chances of a high draft get smaller and smaller. Add a mouth to your list of problems (T.O.? Chad?) and, rather than being seen as a potential asset to a team you'll instead be seen as a potential cancer in the lockerroom.

The lesson here is plain, kids. Keep your noses clean. Do your work. Stay out of jail. Show up for practice. Don't take plays off. Wear a condom, Darren McFadden! You're under the microscope now. The money is just too big and too important to waste on you.